Cole Anthony of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Dean Smith Center on Feb. 8 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Credit: Getty Images/Streeter Lecka
A little over a year ago, long before the mock drafts for Wednesday’s NBA Draft were considered, the rankings for Cole Anthony were those like ESPN’s Top 100 recruiting ranking. There he found himself at No. 2, behind only James Wiseman, two spots ahead of Anthony Edwards and 19 places ahead of LaMelo Ball.
But now, while Wiseman, Ball and Edwards are projected as the likely top three picks in some order, Anthony finds himself drifting toward the back side of the first round.